I will be travelling to the US and was planning to bring my HT along. I would prefer to have it in my carry on bag than checked, but I am wondering if the airport security would be unnecessarily concerned about it.

I regularly travel with my FT817 in my carry on. I used to carry an FT 50 HT. Nowadays, I remove it from the bag and place it in one of the plastic trays as I go through the xray machine the same as I do my laptop computer. I've been asked what it was on occasion, and when I tell them it's amateur radio equipment, there's no more problem. Just don't try DXing from 30,000 feet. They don't see the humor in that. I haven't need it, but I always have a copy of my license, and a copy of the CEPT treaty (available off the ARRL website) handy, in case anyone wants more confidence that I'm really just a radio geek and not a terrorist.

The only problem you might have taking a radio, is if you leave it in your bag your more likely to get your bag searched. Electronic items can be hard to see thru in the x-ray machine, you really can't tell what might be above or below them. So we have to check to make sure.

Also if you have alot of cables etc.. the bag might get searched, it comes up very cluttered in the x-ray

Oh and be nice to the folks working at the checkpoint, they are a good bunch of people who get A LOT of flack daily for just doing their job keeping you safe.

You might want to bring proof with you too that you did not buy your radio here when you travel back. I've heard ridiculous stories about being charged duty fees five times what a radio was worth because customs refused to believe that the person did not buy the radio stateside or vice versa or what the radio is actually worth.Just what I've heard.

The other comments not withstanding (they ARE good advice) is to remember you are NOT allowed to use the H-T while in flight, even for receive. (The same rule applies to AM-FM radios, and many other electronic devices, but FM receivers, either broadcast or Amateur 2M, are so close to the aircraft frequencies that their use is forbidden.) Use of the equipment could lead to conficiscation, and even possible legal action upon landing.

The way to get around the "duty" problem is to take your HT (or camera, laptop, etc) to a Customs office and get a Form 4457 "Certificate of Registration for Personal Effects Taken Abroad" You write a description of the item, serial number etc and have the Customs Officer compare the form with the object. It will then be stamped, and you're on your way. You have the only copy, and it helps both in getting the stuff back into USA and in convincing foreign Customs people that you intned to take it back home with you. I've hunted in Africa, and the 4473 makes it much easier to get rifles in and out too. And the whole process is free! A further caution is to only take radio toys to countries for which we have CEPT or other recipocal agreements.

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